Combined nut-lock and joint-plate for railway-track rails



[No Model.)

J. RUTHERFORD. GOMBINED NUT LOOK AND JOINT PLATE FOR RAILWAY TRAGK RAILS.

No. 579,456. Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

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WITNESSES: INVENTOR WW JJZnY/EQMQ M W 5 z w ATTORN EY JOHN RUTHERFORD, OF SOHOOLEY, OHIO.

COMBINED NUT-LOCK AND JOINT-PLATE FOR RAILWAY-TRACK RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 579,456, dated March 23, 1897.

Serial No. 596,377. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN RUTHERFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schooley, in the county of Ross and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined NutLocl and Joint-Plate for Railway-Track Rails, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to the improvement of combined nut-locks and railway-joint plates, and the objects of my invention are to provide a simple and effective device of this kind which will not only operate to prevent the acci dental rotation of the bolt-nuts, such as are ordinarily employed in the connection of railway-track rails, but to operate as a jointplate; to so construct and arrange the same as to obviate the necessity of employing flange-spikes on that side of the joint on which my improved lock-plate is used, and to produce other improvements in details of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects I accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of two railway track rails, showing my improved nut-locking and joining plate in c011- nection therewith. Fig. 2 is a slightly-enlarged sectional view on line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view showing the locking-plate out of contact with the nut. Fig. 4 is a slightly-enlarged sectional view on line a: 00 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a detail view in elevation of a portion of the locking-plate.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

a represents railway-track rails, the inner ends of which are arranged adjacent to each other in the usual manner.

19 represents a bearing-plate upon which the adjoining end portions of the rails a are caused to rest, said plate being supported on the usual ties Z7.

0 represents the ordinary forms of fish-plates which bear against the web portions of the adjoining rails and which are connected in the usual manner by transverse bolt-nuts which serve to clamp the fish-plates in place in the ordinary manner. A

As indicated in the drawings,l form the plate Z) with a laterall y-proj ecting arm portion e, the latter being arranged opposite or in line with the joint of said rails. As indicated at e, I also provide that side of the plate Z7 which corresponds with the side of the rails on which the nuts are employed with an upwardly-projectin g and inwardly-inclined flange or clamp, which is adapted, as shown in the drawings, to partially embrace the upper side of the track-railflanges. At the center of its length the clamping-flange e is recessed or separated to admit of the reception of a portion of the lower side of a lever-arm f. This lever-arm f is provided on its outer end and lower side with a downwardly projecting tongue f, which is fulcrumed, as indicated at f in the inner portion of the arm 6.

9 represents a lockingplate, said lockingplate being at the center of its length secured to or'formed with the inner end and vertical side of the lever-arm fand adapted, as indicated in the drawings, to have its inner face bear against the fish-plate c on the nut side of the joint. This plate 9 is provided on its upper side at proper intervals to receive the nuts d with square or angular notches h, said notches being made to embrace the sides and bottoms of the nuts d when said plate 9 is in contact with the fish-plate c.

In the outer end portion of the arm c of the plate Z7 and upper side thereof I provide a socket 1', within which is adapted to bear the outer and lower end of a coil-spring k, the upper and inner end of which fits within a socket 7c in the outer end of the lever-arm f. The spring serves, as indicated, to normally retain the plate 9 in contact with the fislrplate 0, thereby preventing any tendency of the nuts (I being rotated without first mov ing the plate outward, which may be accomplished by grasping a suitable han dle or bail m, which is connected with the lever-arm f. From the construction and operation which I have described it is obvious that the notched plate 9 will not only serve to prevent the rotation or working loose of the nuts d from the bolts 0, but it will also be seen that the engagement of the flanges of the rails with the plate-flange 6 will obviate the necessity of employing the spike connection of the rails with ties on the nut side of the joint.

When it is desired to tighten the nuts, it is ICO evident that the spring 7a maybe depressed and the plate thrown outward to the position indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In case other forms of nuts than those herein shown are provided it is obvious that the notches in the plate g may be correspondingly shaped.

Having now fully described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a combined nut-1ock and joint-plate for railway-track rails, the combination with adjoining track-rails, and fish-plates on opposite sides thereof having a boit-and-nut connection with said rails, of a plate 1) upon which the track-rails bear, an upwardly-projecting flange 6 on said plate Z2 adapted to engage the outer portions of the track-rail flanges on one side and a spring-actuated plate 9 having notches in its upper side adapted to embrace said fish-plate nuts, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

JOHN RUTHERFORD. In presence of SUSIE SENFF, ROBERT W. MACKER. 

